Welcome From moni & Walt
The Poets Niche is an online group of Poets and Poetry lovers who felt the need to start something unique. It has become a great way to network, share your work, give feedback to others and meet other poets online! And it was all started by other poets like you!

To join the Poets Niche, simply complete and submit the form below. You'll immediately be placed on a group list which will allow you to communicate with poets and poetry lovers across the country and the world! (You'll probably get a welcome email or two from a few of our friendly community!) Communicate to the group by sending one email-- your words will then be distributed instantly to all the other members of the Poets Niche.

Take a look at our Mission and Vision to get an idea of where we're heading! Thanks for being a part of it all, and get ready for the ride of your life!!

--Walt Goodridge
president,
nichemarket.com
& poets niche founder

Mission and Vision

Our Motto: The vision of one can fulfill the dreams of many.

Our Mission: The Poets Niche is an online service created to provide poets a network base to showcase their poetry. We believe poetry tells the story of the poet. Like the hieroglyphics our ancestors left behind telling their stories, we want to help each member personally tell their story. Therefore, our goal is to empower our members with the knowledge, resources and expertise to globally market their poetry.

The Poets Niche and NicheMarket.com can and will become the most popular website on the Internet. How do we accomplish this goal? Most importantly it requires your help. Networking within your communities, advertising the Poets Niche in the media, radio, newspapers, talk shows, magazines, local writer's groups, universities, bookstores, coffee shops, places of employment! Word of mouth is how every great movement gets it's start and sustains its momentum. (And with the power of email, we can indeed create something the likes of which this world has never seen!)

On our end, we need to make sure we give you what you want and need to help you achieve your own goals, personal and otherwise. Let us know what you'd like to see the Poets Niche become, and I promise you, if enough people want it, we will make it happen!

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HERE'S WHAT WE ARE DURING CURRENTLY:

1) POEMS OF THE WEEK - Every week we will spotlight Poets Niche members and their poems.

We believe that all poems posted on this website should inspire, uplift, motivate and be spiritual. Therefore, the use of profanity, pornography and the degradation of any race or gender, will not be posted on this website. We believe, however, in the freedom of expression, and ask that members continue to send their poems directly to the group. This will allow each poet to continue to receive comments and/or opinions about their poems from the members.

2) GREETING COMMITTEE - Our Greeting Committee will introduce new members to the group, as well as answer any questions new members may have regarding procedures for submitting their poems for review by other members.

3) THE POETS NICHE E-ZINE - moni's top 10 is a forum created for members to showcase their talents -- e.g., FROM THE QUEEN'S THRONE written by Shenita Vanish -- as well as sharing information amongst our members for networking purposes.

4) POETS NICHE WHO'S WHO - Get to know our members up close and personal. Discover how our members found out about the us, and why they love being a part of the Poets Niche, in moni's candid interviews of our members. See moni's top 10 and find out why we are having so much fun!

5) COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY - Have your poem(s) critiqued by members of the Poets Niche by the Peanut Gallery. This forum was created to allow poets and poetry critics to discuss the poetry submitted to the group. Criticism can and should be considered A Good Thing -- constructive criticism can lead to growth and insight, from both the artist and the critic. The aim of the Peanut Gallery is to provide a place for in-depth discussion of selected works, including commentary by the writer on what the piece being discussed is about, if they so choose.

6) GET YOUR OWN PERSONAL WEBSITE - Get a webpage on the Poets Niche site to launch your career, sell a self-published book and more.

7) POETS NICHE BOOKSHELF - This section of our website will profile the work of any member who has published a book(s) of poetry. This will allow the poets to market and sell their book(s) online.

8) BULLETIN BOARD - Poets Niche members who want to share and/or invite others to any upcoming events, either locally or nationally, should post these events on our Bulletin Board.

9) POETS NICHE PUBLISHING/POETS NICHE ANTHOLOGIES - Our goal is to publish, market and promote the work of our members. Soon to be published is our first anthology "COME INTO OUR WHIRL". See how you can be a featured poet in the next Poets Niche Anthology, which will include the top 50 poems of the year.

FUTURE PLANS:

1) POETS NICHE CHAT ROOM - While the chat room is already up and running for anyone who wishes to utilize it, we'll be having monthly boardmeetings, or specially organized chat sessions to meet, greet or discuss how to improve the Poets Niche, etc. -Stay Tuned!

2) POETS NICHE AUDIO ROOM - Each member can personally read their poem(s) along with a little history about the poem on this page. Visitors to the site will be able to hear the recording of you performing your poetry!

3) WRITER'S RESOURCE ROOM - We will provide website resources and/or information on copyrighting, marketing, literary agents, etc.

4) QUARTERLY CONTESTS - We will continue to have contests which will allow members to have their work exposed to the greatest number of people around the world!

The Poets Niche would like to personally thank /bams, David, Pam, Mocha, Angela, Shenita, Saleem and Shaun for volunteering their time and efforts in making this website a reality.

Moni Blache--The Really Nice Person at the Poets Niche Who Keeps Things Running Smoothly

& Walt Goodridge--President NicheMarket.com

How It All Started
THE SHORT VERSION: Back in August of 1997, Walt Goodridge, president of "a company called W" and creator of the nichemarket.com website began sending out his Friday Inspirations to a small group of friends family and business partners.

As interest in his unique style of inspiring poetry grew, in June of 1998, several people who found themselves on his list suggested that he create a "Poetry niche" in addition to the other niches on the young website.

Sensing a real interest, Walt contacted several of the people who had made similar suggestions and within a week launched the email listserve which is uniting poetry lovers and creators from around the world, creating friendships and changing lives!

During a phone conversation between Walt and Monica Blache, one of the founding members, the two realized they shared a similar vision for where this thing could go. Moni, who shuns titles and prefers to be called simply "The Really nice person who keeps things running smoothly at the Poets Niche" became the energy which has kept the Poets Niche heading up into the clouds as Walt's responsibilities with the now popular website increased! (See   Who the Heck is Moni? for more!)

Word spread quickly as people realized they were part of something really special which was just getting started! They told friends, and their friends told others and now....here YOU are becoming a part of all the fun!

THE LONG VERSION:
*The full story as well as actual emails, ideas and thoughts which led to the creation of the Poets Niche are available in Come Into Our Whirl, the first compilation of work and stories by the Poets Niche Poets!

We're Changing Lives
JANUARY 25, 1999

THANKS FROM GALINA AND ERYN HEWITT -
(permission granted to share this email)

Moni:

Again thanks so much for allowing Eryn's poem to be featured on the Niche. When I first told her of it she was very excited and expressed a form of happiness I hadn't seen in a very long time (from her). Eryn stopped smiling when her father passed away four years ago. We were spared some sadness with the birth of her sister Lyndsey (Lynn was born the day her father was buried). Since then, Eryn has only expressed her feelings to her diary and Lyndsey. She takes the time to teach this little person everything she has inside of her (her kindness and warmth are seen when these two are together). We both have discovered happiness thru a large amount of sadness, and now thanks to you guys I have my daughter back (slowly, but back). Eryn is writing more, and coming out of an extremely hard shell (trying to over come that difficult age where everything is wrong about her). She smiles occasionally (but speaks less). Eryn is a very beautiful and bright young lady whom with the help of people like you is finally seeing what the rest of us have seen for almost 11 years now.

Thanks to you, Bam-Bam, David, and the other poets for your praise and encouragement. You guys have done more for Eryn than words can ever say.

Thanks again,

Galina

*****

From: Monique Fradieu
Date: Sun, Jan 24, 1999 4:08 PM
Subject: Re: moni's top 10 minus 4
To: moni@nichemarket.com
moni

thanks so much for coming to my performance and book signing and thanks for the beautiful card.

also, thanks for the wonderful review in moni's top 10 minus 4.

i read "wedding night" and it is all that! i love it!

you are a woman after my own heart.

love ya,

monique fradieu

2/1/99 - EXCERPTS FROM A CONVERSATION BETWEEN MONI & SHENITA:

shenita said: The interview (bams) was wonderful and informative. I have often wondered how I could contribute to the Poet Niche's. So many people write such wonderful poems. . .I use to write poetry, years ago, but stopped. Unfortunately, I feel that I have lost the talent. However, I have been blessed with the ability to inspire people through motivational writing. And that's what I will contribute. I don't know when, I don't know how much, I just know that it will come. . .I saw Les Brown speak this past Sunday and was "so excited," I almost came into work to use the computer to write to the Poet Niche. But, instead, I went home to savor in the flavor of the moment. It was "oh so good". . .I'm not quite sure where the Poet's Niche is heading but I'm so glad that they picked me up along the way. God, it's so wonderful to be in the company of progressive folks. . .If it's true that you attract people into your life who reflect you, I must say. . .I must be projecting a wonderful image! Your efforts to unite the family is incredible. Be blessed my sister. I'm so glad to be apart of your family.

moni said: after eating 12 chocolate chip cookies & drinking a diet coke, i sat down to re-read ur email in the privacy of my own home. . .you touched my soul with such kind words. . .i'm delighted that u got 2 see Les Brown & i can't wait 2 read ur motivational writing!! u'll never know what soul or heart u'll touch or motive with your words until U submit it. . .here's a thought! since you feel "poetry" is not quite your forte, as part of moni's top 10 (either bi-weekly or monthly), i can include a section called "FROM THE QUEEN'S THRONE". . .this way, you can use this as a forum to use ur motivational writing to uplift & inspire our members to continue reaching for the stars. . .let me know what you think.